EFCA: Data Centres ‘EnGulfed’ in Conflict – Europe’s opportunity?
As geopolitical volatility turns commercial cloud facilities into military targets, the “risk premium” for data infrastructure is being rewritten. Examining the lessons from EFCA’s 2025 Resilience Report, MIHAI BARCANESCU, Policy Manager, European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations, explores how Europe can leverage its engineering excellence and political stability to become a global safe harbour. He highlights the evolving role of the consulting engineer—no longer just a specialist in cooling and power, but the strategic lead in shielding the world’s digital backbone from both physical and cyber threats.
The targeting of data centres and other ICT infrastructure in the Gulf region has sent shockwaves through the European and global ICT and engineering communities alike. Until now, critical‑infrastructure attacks in the Middle East have been synonymous with mostly energy (oil and gas) and transport facilities, if we do not consider the proper military and governmental infrastructure. But recent Iranian drone strikes on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centres in the UAE and Bahrain mark a decisive shift: Digital infrastructure has now become an explicit front line. Multiple facilities have been hit since early March, resulting in outages to banking activities, payments, mobility apps and enterprise services across the region. Analysts have noted that this is likely the first time that commercial data centres have been deliberately targeted as military assets during an active conflict worldwide. Moreover, the attacks on the wider ICT infrastructure in the Gulf countries are at an astonishing rate.
These attacks also illustrate the growing entanglement between commercial cloud systems and geopolitical power. The AWS facilities hit in Bahrain were reportedly singled out because of their role in supporting certain US military and intelligence functions. As the region suffered widespread digital disruptions, it also served as a reminder to global stakeholders that “the cloud” is not an abstraction but a network of very physical and highly vulnerable sites.
A European perspective: Lessons from EFCA’s Report on ICT Resilience
In Europe, these events should not be viewed as distant regional turbulence. Instead, they are confirmation of trends identified in the European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations’ (EFCA) ‘Future Trends Report: The Resilience of the European ICT System (2025)’. Our report stresses that systemic ICT resilience is now central to Europe’s economic stability, continuity of essential services, and the functioning of smart, interconnected built environments. In fact, ICT is a cornerstone of European competitiveness and quality of life
Our report has underscored the need for multi‑layered resilience: adopt a ‘resilience by design’ approach from the procurement phase, covering both natural and man-made risks; diversified geographic distribution of data‑centre and other ICT assets; improved cyber‑physical threat modelling; a closer integration of engineering, digital and security disciplines at the various educational and training levels. The attacks in the Gulf have just demonstrated the necessity of implementing all of these aspects as soon as possible.
Why this could be an opportunity for Europe – and for Ireland
While the alarm bells can no longer be ignored, this global shift creates opportunities for jurisdictions that can offer political stability, strong rule of law, skilled engineering capacity, and reliable infrastructure – conditions that Europe, in general, and Ireland, in particular, can credibly guarantee. In fact, Ireland already hosts a dense cluster of strategic data‑centre and cloud investments, supported by a highly professionalised engineering and construction ecosystem. Furthermore, while the country is not a NATO member, it is surrounded by NATO members and enjoys a crucial advantage thanks to its geographic distance from geopolitical hotspots.
As Gulf‑region hyperscale providers face new geopolitical risk premiums, Europe can position itself as a safer, standards‑driven environment for resilient digital infrastructure. The market size(s) also ought not to be overlooked, since the EU is both one of the richest and most tech-savvy regions in the world. Additionally, its digital and cybersecurity frameworks, despite all criticism, provide greater predictability for investors compared to the volatile environments of other regions.
The role of consulting engineers
Consulting engineers sit at the centre of this transition. The convergence of digital and physical threats means data‑centre design is no longer only about the ‘business as usual’ optimisation, cooling efficiency and grid connection. Now other aspects must be factored in: advanced risk assessment, redundancy engineering, zoning strategy and resilience‑by‑design.
Furthermore, consulting engineers can guide clients in diversifying locations, embedding intelligence‑driven security monitoring, strengthening continuity strategies and ensuring compliance with evolving EU requirements.
In conclusion
The events in the Gulf are a clear turning point. Data centres have, at the same time, become strategic assets and strategic targets. Europe, and Ireland in particular, can transform this global vulnerability into a competitive advantage by doubling down on resilience, regulatory simplification and clarity, and engineering excellence. Consulting engineers will be the linchpin in ensuring that the digital backbone of the European and world economy is not only efficient but also resilient and future‑proof.